• Congressional leaders announced the cessation of China Daily, the official propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from being distributed in the U.S. Capitol. This decision aims to counter Beijing’s efforts to influence American political discourse and protect U.S. democracy from foreign interference.
• The announcement was made by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who emphasized the importance of blocking CCP propaganda from being disseminated within Congressional offices. They praised the cooperation of National News in implementing the ban.
• China Daily has been distributed in the U.S. for decades, with its U.S. distributor registered as a foreign agent since 1983. The publication has been criticized for promoting CCP narratives, whitewashing human rights abuses and paying U.S. media outlets to run pro-Beijing content.
• Between 2016 and 2024, China Daily’s U.S. operations received $81 million in funding, with significant amounts spent on printing, operations and advertisements in U.S. media. This highlights Beijing’s substantial investment in shaping global perceptions and normalizing its authoritarian practices.
• The ban is seen as a victory for protecting U.S. democratic institutions from foreign influence. However, the broader challenge remains to combat CCP propaganda globally and ensure American policymakers and citizens are vigilant against foreign disinformation campaigns.

In a decisive move toward safeguarding American democracy from foreign influence, Congressional leaders have announced the cessation of distribution for China Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), within the halls of the U.S. Capitol. This landmark decision marks a significant step in countering Beijing’s relentless efforts to infiltrate and manipulate American political discourse.

The announcement was made jointly by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In a statement released on Tuesday, the lawmakers declared, “We are pleased to announce that China Daily will no longer be circulated by National News to House offices. We took action to directly block the Chinese Communist Party from using the halls of the People’s House to spread its propaganda. We appreciate National News’s swift cooperation on this important issue.”

This decision comes after years of mounting concerns over the CCP’s use of state-controlled media to influence U.S. policymakers and public opinion. China Daily, one of Beijing’s most prominent propaganda tools, has long been distributed to Congressional offices alongside legitimate news publications, unless offices explicitly opted out.

Long history of CCP propaganda in America

The roots of China Daily’s presence in the U.S. stretch back decades. Its U.S. distributor, the China Daily Distribution Corporation, has been registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) since 1983. This designation underscores the publication’s role as an arm of the Chinese government, tasked with advancing Beijing’s interests abroad.

In 2020, the U.S. State Department designated China Daily and 16 other entities as “foreign missions,” a move that highlighted their function as extensions of the CCP’s propaganda apparatus. Of these, 14 were news publications or broadcasters, reflecting Beijing’s heavy reliance on media to shape global narratives.

The publication’s Chinese website openly declares its mission: to “actively publicize and explain Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.” In practice, this means promoting the CCP’s agenda while whitewashing its human rights abuses, including the oppression of Uyghurs, Tibetans and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.

Growing backlash against CCP influence

The decision to halt China Daily’s distribution follows years of bipartisan criticism. In 2020, the publication came under fire for paying major U.S. newspapers millions of dollars to run inserts that portrayed the Chinese regime in a favorable light. These advertisements, which often downplayed Beijing’s authoritarian practices, raised alarm bells among lawmakers and national security experts.

This year, Freshman Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) reignited the push to ban CCP-controlled publications from Congress. His resolution, introduced on February 5, sought to prohibit the distribution of all CCP-affiliated media within House facilities. In an interview with EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” program, Rep. Hamadeh argued that allowing China Daily in Congress was “unacceptable” because it represents “propaganda by a foreign government that’s trying to influence the highest echelons of the United States government.”

The issue also drew attention from then-Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, who in March 2024 co-wrote letters to nine media companies accepting payments from China Daily. Rubio urged these outlets to stop “disseminating CCP propaganda to an American audience,” warning of the dangers posed by Beijing’s information warfare.

Financial backbone of CCP propaganda

The scale of Beijing’s investment in China Daily’s U.S. operations is staggering. According to FARA filings, between November 2016 and April 2024, the China Daily Distribution Corporation received million in funding from its China?based headquarters — nearly 9781 million on printing and operational expenses, including $20.78 million on advertisements in U.S. media outlets.

This financial backing underscores the CCP’s commitment to leveraging China Daily as a tool for shaping global perceptions. By flooding American media with pro-Beijing content, the regime seeks to normalize its authoritarian practices and undermine criticism of its policies.

Victory for national security and sovereignty

The decision to block China Daily from Congressional offices is a victory for those who recognize the threat posed by foreign propaganda. As Rep. Steil and Rep. Moolenaar noted, the halls of Congress must remain free from the influence of adversarial regimes. This move sends a clear message: the United States will not tolerate attempts to undermine its democratic institutions.

However, the battle against CCP influence is far from over. Beijing’s propaganda machine remains active, with state-controlled media outlets continuing to operate in the U.S. and around the world. The challenge now is to build on this momentum, ensuring that American policymakers and citizens are equipped to recognize and resist foreign disinformation campaigns.

As the U.S. confronts an increasingly assertive China, the decision to ban China Daily from Capitol Hill serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in defending democracy. In the words of Rep. Hamadeh, “This is about protecting the integrity of our government and ensuring that our decisions are made free from foreign interference.”

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

TheEpochTimes.com

Cha.House.gov